First of all, I'm no expert on spray finishes. With the exception of the spray can, this is my first time I haven't used a brush, rag or roller. So keep that in mind.
I've been looking at getting a spray gun for a while now. I haven't progressed much beyond BLO and polyurethane, which is nice but something limiting. I'm very much interested in shellacs & lacquers, and I hear it's better to spray those. After seeing the review on the Wood Whisperer, I was sold on the Earlex 5000, since this gun is also supposed to handle latex paint.
I got the Earlex a few weeks ago, and I've used it for a birdcage cabinet. The results so far have been mixed. Spraying latex with an HVLP gun is certainly not trivial. The main problem is that the paint doesn't atomize well, when you spray it it's not a nice fine mist. You know how you sometimes use a spray can and it comes out a little flaky, especially if you didn't shake well or towards the end when the can is getting empty? That's kind of what I got. Second, and DavidF also commented on this in a different thread, you really have to put on a "wet" coat, you can't just spray a thin layer and let it dry. If you do that, the surface gets rough and you're basically sanding everything off. This applies to both paint and clear finishes. Of course, putting on too thick a coat results in runs.
I used Sherwin Williams ProClassic, ultra white. This is 100% acrylic paint, which is supposed to work better for spraying with an HVLP gun. I thinned it pretty aggressively to improve the atomization. I used 10 parts paint, 5 parts Floetrol and 3 parts water. I tried minor variations with more Floetrol and less water, and vice versa, and this seemed optimal. With this much dilution, the coverage ability is greatly reduced, and it won't fill in the tiny dents and imperfections either. A primer is pretty much required on bare wood. I brushed the primer, since I didn't want to dilute the primer too much. I tried both the 1.5mm and 2.0mm needles, and it didn't make much of a difference. Also, with this much Floetrol, it comes out pretty flat. I used high-gloss paint, but it looks like eggshell.
If you lay the paint on thick enough to be "wet", the result is great. It dries very smoothly, certainly better than I could hope to accomplish with a roller, even with an oil-based paint. Fearing runs, I didn't quite get the paint thick enough everywhere, and those areas aren't quite as "glassy". There is also a very slight orange peel effect, but it isn't easy to see unless the light hits it just right (or wrong). The excessive heat probably didn't help either with the finish, cooler weather probably would give the paint more time to even out and settle better.
To get a coat thick enough, the surface has to be level. I made the mistake of trying to spray a vertical surface, I had to do quite a bit of sanding to get the runs off. Having learned my lesson, I just rotated the cabinet to not spray vertically. The paint dries sufficiently within an hour, but it turns what should be a 20 minute job into an all-day affair. And you can't leave the paint in the gun too long either.
I'll be topcoating the project with some polycrylic for extra protection, which will also address any variations in smoothness.
Again, I'm quite happy with the end result. It is very close to that super-smooth "factory-sprayed" feel, but it's certainly not easy. There is definitely technique and experience involved, it's not just pull the trigger and go. Hopefully, spraying a clear finish like polycrylic will be less finicky. I won't be starting the topcoat until the weekend, to give the paint a chance to cure properly. So stay tuned.
I've been looking at getting a spray gun for a while now. I haven't progressed much beyond BLO and polyurethane, which is nice but something limiting. I'm very much interested in shellacs & lacquers, and I hear it's better to spray those. After seeing the review on the Wood Whisperer, I was sold on the Earlex 5000, since this gun is also supposed to handle latex paint.
I got the Earlex a few weeks ago, and I've used it for a birdcage cabinet. The results so far have been mixed. Spraying latex with an HVLP gun is certainly not trivial. The main problem is that the paint doesn't atomize well, when you spray it it's not a nice fine mist. You know how you sometimes use a spray can and it comes out a little flaky, especially if you didn't shake well or towards the end when the can is getting empty? That's kind of what I got. Second, and DavidF also commented on this in a different thread, you really have to put on a "wet" coat, you can't just spray a thin layer and let it dry. If you do that, the surface gets rough and you're basically sanding everything off. This applies to both paint and clear finishes. Of course, putting on too thick a coat results in runs.
I used Sherwin Williams ProClassic, ultra white. This is 100% acrylic paint, which is supposed to work better for spraying with an HVLP gun. I thinned it pretty aggressively to improve the atomization. I used 10 parts paint, 5 parts Floetrol and 3 parts water. I tried minor variations with more Floetrol and less water, and vice versa, and this seemed optimal. With this much dilution, the coverage ability is greatly reduced, and it won't fill in the tiny dents and imperfections either. A primer is pretty much required on bare wood. I brushed the primer, since I didn't want to dilute the primer too much. I tried both the 1.5mm and 2.0mm needles, and it didn't make much of a difference. Also, with this much Floetrol, it comes out pretty flat. I used high-gloss paint, but it looks like eggshell.
If you lay the paint on thick enough to be "wet", the result is great. It dries very smoothly, certainly better than I could hope to accomplish with a roller, even with an oil-based paint. Fearing runs, I didn't quite get the paint thick enough everywhere, and those areas aren't quite as "glassy". There is also a very slight orange peel effect, but it isn't easy to see unless the light hits it just right (or wrong). The excessive heat probably didn't help either with the finish, cooler weather probably would give the paint more time to even out and settle better.
To get a coat thick enough, the surface has to be level. I made the mistake of trying to spray a vertical surface, I had to do quite a bit of sanding to get the runs off. Having learned my lesson, I just rotated the cabinet to not spray vertically. The paint dries sufficiently within an hour, but it turns what should be a 20 minute job into an all-day affair. And you can't leave the paint in the gun too long either.
I'll be topcoating the project with some polycrylic for extra protection, which will also address any variations in smoothness.
Again, I'm quite happy with the end result. It is very close to that super-smooth "factory-sprayed" feel, but it's certainly not easy. There is definitely technique and experience involved, it's not just pull the trigger and go. Hopefully, spraying a clear finish like polycrylic will be less finicky. I won't be starting the topcoat until the weekend, to give the paint a chance to cure properly. So stay tuned.
